News
Theater group to present "110 in the Shade"
Scott Wagar
02/12/2013
The Bottineau Community Theater Group is gearing up to bring some good music, dance steps and a funny plot line to the stage when it presents “110 in the Shade” during Feb. 21-24 at the Holwell Auditorium.
Tim Davis, director of “110 in the Shade,” decided to do the play because he enjoys the production for sentimental reasons and because the show has some similarities which concerns issues going on in North Dakota at the present moment.
“I thought it would be fun to do. It has been since 1988 since we have done the play,” Davis said. “And, I thought it spoke of some of the things going on in the state right now with the oil boom, drought and some other connections.
“I also like the music,” Davis said. “I like the songs “Raunchy,” “Poker Polka,” “Rain Song,” “A Man and a Woman” and “Little Red Hat,” and so many more. It is just some fun music.”
The plot of the play takes place during the Dirty Thirties in Three Point, Texas, and centers around Lizzie Curry (played by Jaque Marum), a spinster living on her family’s ranch and her relationship with the town’s sheriff, File (Luther Olson), a divorced man who is not looking to get remarried any time soon for his own personal reasons.
Then, there is Lizzie’s family who is trying desperately hard to get her married because they feel she is too old to be single, even though she is still quite young.
Her brothers, Noah (Padin Bedlion) and Jimmie (Zach Lee), are complete opposites with Noah being a straight talker and Jimmie having a goofy personality, which brings an entertaining twist to the show, especially for Jimmie and the town’s local flirt, Snookie Updegraff (Leah Benson).
Lizzie’s father, H.C. Curry (Jim Borkowski), is, in reality, an easy going man, but even he is pushing hard for his daughter to marry and gets involved in a plan to hook Lizzie up with Sheriff File.
To add to the story, there is a drought in the area, which brings a man to town by the name of Starbuck (Paul Schuster). Starbuck is a conman who comes to town guaranteeing that he is going to make it rain, and who falls in love with Lizzie.
With the drought, a con artists who swears he can make it rain, a family of men trying to get a romance started, a stubborn sheriff, a new romance in the air and an auditorium filled with great music and delightful choreography, “110 in the Shade” brings the stage alive.
The curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 21, 22 and 23 (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and at 2:30 p.m. on the Feb. 24 (Sunday).